Uber to Cap Driver Hours in London | Fortune.com – Fortune

Uber needs to make its U.Okay. drivers’ lives “easier” by limiting the variety of hours they will work.

In a letter to Parliament, Uber’s U.Okay. head of public coverage Andrew Byrne outlined a number of initiatives the experience-hailing firm plans to make in 2017, lots of which concentrate on enhancing driver expertise. “Our business will only be successful if drivers want to work with us,” the letter says.

Uber is planning to introduce a restrict to the variety of hours drivers are in a position to log in the U.Okay. Though it didn’t specify the cap, Uber says it’ll provide you with an hours reduce-off by this summer time. The firm already screens drivers who work greater than 56 hours per week, and the Uber app notifies all drivers to be protected and take breaks all through the day. 1 / 4 of Uber drivers in London log 40 hours per week or extra, in accordance to the letter.

Uber’s promise of an hours cap comes after a number of of its drivers advised the U.Okay. Parliament’s Work and Pensions Committee that they have been working long shifts to eke out a revenue after Uber takes its reduce for fee, insurance coverage prices, and different bills. One Uber driver informed the legislature it isn’t unusual for him to work as many as 100 hours per week.

Uber handled this similar drawback in the U.S. final yr when it instituted a cap for drivers in New York City. In an effort to fight driver fatigue, the tech firm instituted a coverage that may briefly deactivate drivers who’re on the street for greater than 12 hours.